Gubernatorial candidates in Aceh must be able to recite the Koran. One candidate, Mediati Hafni Hanum, failed the test.

While Sidney Jonessays the elections in Aceh, due to be held on December 11th, will not threaten peace in the province, they may threaten Indonesia's credibility in the eyes of the world. Mediati Hafni Hanum, the only female candidate for governor, said that the Independent Election Committee (KIP) announced that she failed a koranic reading ability test she had underwent on September 7th. Candidates must pass the test to be able to take part in the elections in Aceh. While admitting that she is no Quran reading expert she said:

Mediati, who is currently a member of the Regional Representatives Council in Jakarta, appears to be disputing the matter, claiming that she is actually proficient in Quran recitation and that the electoral authorities just don't want her to run.

To prove her competence, she read from the Koran during a fast-breaking ceremony in the office of Home Affairs Minister M. Ma'ruf in Jakarta on the 27th, the Jakarta Post said. She plans to take the matter to the courts if the electoral authorities keep insisting she is a dullard at Quran reading.

October 6th

Out of 290 candidates for various government positions in Aceh 17 failed the Alquran reading test. The relevant law on the matter of quran literacy is to be found in qanun (regional law) No.7/2006 and reads:

4 Comments on “Mediati Hafni Hanum”

It is strange that only one view of the world is allowed in Aceh. Indonesia is a fine example of that multiple views of the world indeed is allowed and encouraged. The fight for Muslims and for Islam to take place rightfully beside other world religions is not between Islam and other religions, but the fight is between two schools of thought within Islam.

One school want to take peoples minds and freedoms 2000 years back and only allow ONE view of the world. Contradictionary views are percepted as a threat to Islam and therefore must be fought with sword and bloodshead. Terrorsists are salubrated and suicide bombers haild to the skies.

The other school want to enhance and encouarge Islam to embrace modern science, research and development and take prode in non-violance. This school of thought are not afraid of different world views, instead critisism of Islam is welcomed and arguments raised to explain and defend peacfully if necessary.

The silent majority in Indonesia and elsewhere in the world is anti-violence, tolerant and peaceful. They don’t want to be told how to behave, and dress, by others who claim to be Gods interpreters. They want religion to be only ONE part in their quest for a better life, not the only part that is important. They don’t agree with intolerance.

Once Islam was at the heart of world development and science, human development and prosperity. Todays violent interpretations of Islam is not serving the interest of anyone, those that suffer the most are the poor.

Let a thousand flowers flourish and let people live a free life and RI will prosper. Islam is a peacful religion, but today has been hi-jacked be extrem fundamentalists, that have extremly little support from ordinary peolple. These intolerant fundamentalists do not represent the people or the deep soul of the Muslims of the world.

sadly andrew, many Muslims can read the Quran but only a handful understands Arabic. the case is that they can recite the Quran but they don’t understand what it means. that’s why Indonesian Muslims are the way we are today, people who have a limited understanding of their own religion. that is why I always implore people not to judge Islam based on only the behaviour of it’s followers here in Indonesia, or those extremists in al qaeda.